The invention relates to an integration element, having a shaft and a housing, and a drive train, for example, of an agricultural machine or a utility vehicle, provided with the integration element. An integration element in the context of the invention is intended to be understood to be a mechanical engineering component which is for transmitting torques and which is suitable for integration between machine components which are already provided.
In practice, it is known to rotatably support a rotating component, in particular a shaft, by means of at least one bearing, in particular by means of a roller or plain bearing, with respect to a bearing housing. In this instance, the shaft transmits a torque in many cases, wherein the requirement arises to detect the torque of the shaft.
The publication EP 1398607 relates to a sensor having a shaft, which is coupled in a rotationally secure manner to a magneto-resilient element. The torque flow is partially directed through the element. A housing is not provided in this instance. The sensor is not adequately protected. For mechanical engineering applications in operating conditions which are subjected to dirt, spray water, dust and slurry, referred to below as “rough” working conditions, for example, in agricultural machine technology or in utility vehicle technology, many previously known items of measuring equipment for detection of torque in accordance with the conventional prior art, for example, in accordance with the technical teaching of EP 1398607, do not appear to be sufficiently stable or durable. This lack of stability or the lack or durability is shown, for example, in that many previously known items of measuring equipment, after a high number of operating hours and/or under the influence of high loads, which must generally be anticipated in agricultural machine technology or in utility vehicle technology, do not withstand the active loads without limitation of function.
The current prior art discloses solutions which are suitable for detecting torques for heavy duty applications. The previously known items of measuring equipment for detection of torque are constructed as single or double-sided flange connections on a measuring shaft/shaft.
A common aspect of all these solutions for detecting measurement variables is that the contactless detection of the measurement variables on shafts is ensured in each case.
Furthermore, the structural integration of these solutions in the existing application, for example, in the chassis or the bodywork of an agricultural machine or a utility vehicle, or in predetermined connection constructions, is not simple to produce since no suitable connections are provided for this purpose.